{"id":3055,"date":"2020-09-22T08:38:46","date_gmt":"2020-09-22T08:38:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ammoman.com\/blog\/?p=3055"},"modified":"2020-09-22T11:23:05","modified_gmt":"2020-09-22T11:23:05","slug":"less-lethal-loadout-rubber-shotgun-slugs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ammoman.com\/blog\/less-lethal-loadout-rubber-shotgun-slugs\/","title":{"rendered":"Less Lethal Loadout: Rubber Shotgun Slugs"},"content":{"rendered":"

This Is Where The Rubber (Shotgun Slug) Meets The Road<\/span><\/h1>\n

It\u2019s an all-too common sight on the nightly news. A ragged line of mostly peaceful protestors pushes through a cloud of tear gas and pepper spray. In front of them is a solid wall of riot control police, determined to halt their advance. The rioters rush towards the police with clubs and other improvised weapons, determined to break through. The police brace themselves. Suddenly there is the loud report of shotguns firing, and the firing line of protestors goes down. They are injured, possibly severely injured. They are not dead, however. Bruised and battered, they are out of the fight, due to the use of rubber shotgun slugs by the police.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rubber or plastic shotgun rounds <\/span>trace their roots back to 1970<\/span><\/a>, when they were first used by British troops in Northern Ireland. Since then, they have gained acceptance by law enforcement and military units around the world as a way to deliver less-lethal force at a distance. While they are called \u201cslugs\u201d because they area solid projectile that travels through the bore of the shotgun in one piece, they are markedly different from deer slugs or other metal shotgun rounds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What Are Rubber Shotgun Slugs Used For?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"wildlife<\/a>The boxes of the ammo we purchased for this test are both marked as \u201cwildlife control ammunition.\u201d I talked with some friends of mine who live in more rural areas, and they confirmed that they did in fact use rubber shotgun slugs and other \u201cless lethal\u201d rounds to scare off animals like bears, coyotes and such from their property.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When law enforcement uses less lethal ammo, it\u2019s usually for one of two purposes. The first is to deliver a blow to a person who is violent, but is not using deadly force. Law enforcement uses less lethal ammo like bean bag rounds to stun the target or knock them down. Then, officers can close in and restrain the person. That\u2019s the police\u2019s job, to apply the rule of law to the general populace. That is not our job, which is to protect what is near and dear to us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The second reason why rubber shotgun slugs come out is the aforementioned riot control. That\u2019s where things change for armed citizens. It is not our job to quell a riot, it is our job to keep ourselves and our loved ones alive and free from the threat of grievous bodily harm. A violent mob, by its very nature, <\/span>is a disparate force<\/span><\/a>. It\u2019s harder to defend against multiple attackers, and a large crowd threatening violence on you or a loved one represents a significant threat to your well-being. Once again, though, I have to tell you that I, surprisingly enough, am not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice. You want legal advice? Go to a lawyer. They get paid to do that stuff, I don\u2019t.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Is Less Lethal Right For Us?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Let\u2019s take a look at all of this together. We know that a) we\u2019re never going to need to arrest somebody and b) a violent mob is a threat to our lives and c) lethal force can be used to counter such a threat. <\/span>
\n<\/span>
\nSo, why exactly do we need less lethal rounds like rubber shotgun slugs, anyways? If a mob is truly a lethal threat to us, then we should use lethal force. If it\u2019s not a lethal threat, let them walk past and let law enforcement handle it, no matter how obnoxious the mob might be. <\/span><\/p>\n

Now let\u2019s see what rubber shotgun slugs can do on the rare occasion you might actually need to use them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n